Tex Mex Sopapillas Recipes

SOPAPILLAS

Steps:

• For the sopapillas: Heat the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar melts and the milk is warm to the touch.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, lard, baking powder and salt. Mix for 1 minute to incorporate the lard. With the machine running on medium, drizzle the warm milk mixture into the mixing bowl. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
• When ready, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 385 degrees F in a Dutch oven. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• For the topping: Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Dust your work surface with all-purpose flour and roll the dough out to a 6-by-12-inch rectangle. It should be about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares and fry in batches of 6 until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
• Using a spider, remove the hot sopapillas from the oil to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the sopapillas and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with honey. Serve warm.

SOPAPILLAS AT HOME

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the shortening, and use your hands to integrate it well with the flour.
• Pour the hot water into the bowl, little by little. Work the dough with your fingers, mixing the dry ingredients with the water until you form a dough.
• On your table or countertop, knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes until it is smooth. Form a ball with the dough and place it back in the bowl.
• Cover the dough with a plastic or kitchen napkin and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This resting time helps the gluten to develop and make it easy for you to roll out the dough and form the sopapillas.
• After the resting time, slightly knead the dough again and then form it back into a ball. Flatten the ball a little bit, then cut it into 4 pieces using a knife or a pastry cutter.
• Pour the oil into a large pot and turn the heat to medium-low. The oil should reach an average temperature of 350ºF.
• Roll the 4 pieces of dough to form smaller balls. Place one on your working surface and set the other 3 pieces aside, covered with plastic wrap. Form a round disk with the dough using a rolling pin. The disc should be about 6 inches in diameter, and ⅛ to ¼ of an inch in thickness.
• Once you form the disc, cut it into four pieces. These pieces will look like triangles. Carefully place each one into the hot oil. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pot. Once the dough triangles are in the oil, they will inflate almost immediately. Continue cooking until the bottoms of the sopapillas are medium golden, then turn them to cook on the other side until light brown and crispy. The sopapillas will take a total of about 4-5 minutes to cook completely.
• Remove the sopaipillas from the oil using a slotted spatula, and place them on a plate covered with paper towels (to absorb any excess oil) Follow steps 6-8 to continue forming and cooking the remaining sopapillas.
• To serve the sopaipillas, dust them with the confectioner's sugar and ground cinnamon, and then drizzle them with honey (or Piloncillo syrup, if you have any).

TEX-MEX CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef with onions and garlic in a large skillet; drain.
• Line a 9X13X2-inch baking dish with 4 torn flour tortillas.
• Place ground beef mixture over tortillas.
• Layer with beans, enchilada sauce, and cream of chicken soup over ground beef.
• Next, top with shredded cheese, 4 more torn flour tortillas, tomatoes and green chilies.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and top with a little extra cheese if desired; return to oven just long enough to melt the cheese.